Water is necessary for plant growth and maturity. It is not always possible to get water from natural means. Irrigation, the artificial means of supplying water, becomes important for plant growth in the following cases.
- If rainfall is less than the demand for plants, irrigation is necessary to fulfill the water requirement of plants.
- The difference in water holding capacity of the soil plays an important role in the Necessity of Irrigation supply. For example, sandy soil requires frequent irrigation than clay soil.
- If rainfall is sufficient but spatial distribution is not as per requirement, irrigation becomes necessary.
- If rainfall is sufficient, spatial distribution is also good but temporal distribution is not as per requirement, irrigation water is necessary for plants.
- An advanced scientific development like High Yielding Varieties Seeds (HYV) demands irrigation. Actually, irrigation is the most important input for HYV.